Isotopic reconstruction of the subsistence strategy for a Central Italian Bronze Age community (Pastena cave, 2nd millennium BCE)

Cortese, Francesca; De Angelis, Flavio; Achino, Katia Francesca; Bontempo, Luana; di Cicco, Maria Rosa; Gatta, Maurizio; Lubritto, Carmine; Salari, Leonardo; Silvestri, Letizia; Rickards, Olga; Rolfo, Mario Federico

Abstract

The Pastena cave is located in central Italy, and its best-preserved sector is Grotticella W2, which is dated radiometrically to the Early-Middle Bronze Age. The aim of this paper is to explore human diet, animal husbandry, and plant management, analysing the findings there discovered. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was carried out on 40 charred seeds, six faunal remains, and four human individuals, investigating the whole bio-archaeological material available. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first papers presenting stable isotope analysis on carpological remains dated to the Italian Early-Middle Bronze Age. The obtained results are consistent with a diet based on terrestrial protein, mainly on plants, and secondly on animal products. The data suggest that plants, especially broad beans, were partially subjected to human management, while livestock was managed through different husbandry strategies. The cooperation between archaeological studies and molecular analysis allows us to contribute to clarifying the economic strategies for a Central Italian community in a scenario that is still poor in published data.

Citation

Cortese, F., De Angelis, F., Achino, K. F., Bontempo, L., di Cicco, M. R., Gatta, M., Lubritto, C., Salari, L., Silvestri, L., Rickards, O., & Rolfo, M. F. (2022). Isotopic reconstruction of the subsistence strategy for a Central Italian Bronze Age community (Pastena cave, 2nd millennium BCE). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 14(10), Article 201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01673-5

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 12, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 24, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Nov 10, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 10, 2022
• Journal: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1866-9557
• Electronic ISSN: 1866-9565
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 10
• Article Number: 201
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01673-5
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1189286